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You Really Think America was Founded on Christianity

Though the founding fathers themselves have said things like “The Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion.” (John Adams) I will set that aside for a moment. I will, for the sake of argument, accept the premise that this is a Christian nation, founded on, and run by the tenets of, the Christian faith. OK…

Where do we go oh oooo?
Where do we go nowwww?
Where do we goooo?
Sweet Child
Oh, ohWhere do we go nowww?

See, though the christian faith is an entity, there is no larger body governing it that I am aware of. It is broken up into very separate and distinct subsets, each ruled by their own interpretation of the larger set. No governing body exists declaring when one of the subsets, religions, does or does not abide by the larger principles as the larger principles do not really exist. Instead Christianity is a mash-up of many similar, but still quite different, religions.

Here is a Wiki page, List of Christian Denominations[1], which lists an impressive amount of subsets of the Christian set. We also have a page at undergod.procon.org [2] which lists “The 35 largest Christian Denominations in the United States.” If you followed those links great, if not, they list an extraordinarily large amount of religions, or subsets, under the banner of Christianity. Not one of this impressive number answers in any way to a larger body as to what Christianity actually is, what it means, and how to go about practicing it.

Now I ask you, which one is the one this nation was founded on? Which one is the one we should teach in school? Which one is the one that is correct in the eyes of the Lord? Surely you all know right? So in the comment section at the bottom of this piece share. Share with me so I may tell the leaders of this fine nation who is believing appropriately and who is not. I can only assume they would like to know as, why would they wish to lead us in a path against the very Deity that crated the nation and its guiding moral compass?

Do you see the problem yet? I know I saw it but some need more help. Let us observe for a moment the United States itself. It is also a set made up of smaller distinct and disagreeable subsets that we call states, as in states of mind, states of emotion, states of being. Anyway, each state, left to its own accord, would just muck about arguing with, and interfering with, and probably warring with, other states. To prevent this the founding fathers created a federal presence to preside over disputes among the states, and other functions. this was to keep peace but also to provide one guiding principle. It is not enough here to say I live in SC so I am an American. To be an American you also pledge fealty to the larger entity that binds the states together, which is, the federal government, or the embodiment of America.

There is no embodiment in Christianity but that of a mythical common principle. The closest on the list to a true Christian would be non-denominational, which is defined as not associated with a particular denomination. But not believing in a particular denomination is really just making your own denomination. Or, as Rush put it, “If you choose not to believe you still have made a choice.” The only difference being you have a lot fewer members.

So again, who is right? What one was the one we founded this glorious nation on? I could at this point include the 1st amendment which allows for freedom of religion and which Thomas Jefferson himself refereed to as a “…wall of separation between church and state…” but, having met those that believe the country founded on Christianity before I know the thoughts of the founding fathers and the very words of the constitution do not sway their belief. I also know that you can point to the middle east, an area of the world run by religious based government, and as dysfunctional as it is, believers seem to gain no insight as to why church and state should remain separate.

So tell me, you tell me, what version of Christianity is correct? Do we adopt the tenets of Catholicism? Are we up for another version of the Crusades, or possibly another Inquisition? Do we create another Illuminati and drive science underground as we criminalize it for pronouncements deemed heresy? Will we need to reinstate the Knights Templar to seize and fortify the holy lands?

Is the Protestant version more to your liking? Many of them are not happy with Catholics. The KKK consider themselves Protestants and are happy to burn churches, and kill Catholics, and minorities, and Jews in their quest to purify. Are we up for the King Henry VIII version of this subset as he slaughtered about 70,000 Catholics, give or take a heretic or two. Or the witch trials, those were fun. We could reinstate them to commemorate the dawn, and continued prosperity, of this great nation.

Is Jehovah’s Witness more to your liking? Maybe the Mormon faith is what we are all about? Possibly the Seventh Day Adventist church as we currently have a front runner in the republic race for president manifest as Ben Carson espousing this faith. Do we draw lines as in Ireland where cars bombs are how the Catholics and Protestants traditionally communicate. Or, like the middle east, do we enter into centuries of pointless bloodshed because of minor differences of opinion over incomprehensibly idiotic interpretations of the same faith? Is that the goal here?

I am sure you are nodding your head as if to say Kevin, you just do not get it. But, i assure you, I do. You will begin your quest with good intentions. The best of Intentions. But the road to hell, as they say, is paved with those. You all have this lovely little notion that a loving God, and the morals and principles you feel flow from him, can do nothing but make this a loving nation, with those same morals and principles. The problems that arise are, which morals and which principles, and, control and power corrupt, absolutely. What begins as a quest for these morals and principles ends in witch hunts, and inquisitions, and crusades, and extermination of all that do not agree that your way is correct.

The 1st amendment protects us from these things. It also protects your faith from the government. it works both ways. Do not seek to abolish the separation of church and state but rather celebrate its existence as it is what allows you to keep your faith pure. It is what allows your faith, your subset, to flourish in a state of freedom from attack by the government and other faiths different from your owns. Follow the tenet of live and let live and govern separate from faith.